Rack construction



y 7, 1958 w. H. FURRER 2,836,304

RACK CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 27, 1953 Fig. I 6 Fig;

'fi la Fl .3 2 4 9 5a Ic a 1 I I I I I 1! INVENTOR. Werner H. Fur/er ayguw ux m AT OILNQSS 2,335,304 Patented May 27, 1958 RACK CONSTRUCTION Werner H. Fiirrer, Kusnacht-Zurich, Switzerland Application November 27, 1953, Serial No. 34,330

Ciaims priority, application Switzerland eptember 15, 1953 Claims. (Cl. 211-46) The present invention relates to a rack which is constructed of independent rack units and can be used for hanging files, shelves and similar purposes.

in ofiices, business premises and storehouses there is often the desire for a rack the dimensions and capacity of which can be varied. Shelves of this type that can be built up out of independent units are already wellknown, and files that can be assembled from individual groups also exist. Yet these always involve heavy and expensive constructions which are diflicult to adapt to the given available space or arrangement. the need exists for a rack which is simple to store, easy to erect and inexpensive, and which can be adapted withdifficulty to all purposes and any conditions of space.

An object of the present invention is a provision of a rack construction by means of which storage capacity can be varied in a simple manner.

Another object is the provision of rack units which can be transported easily and several of which can be conveniently assembled to form a rack construction.

A further object is the provision of a rack construction consisting of individual units which may be conveniently assembled or disassembled to vary the storage capacity of the rack construction.

Yet another object is the provision of a rack unit formed of rods which are arranged in such manner as to permit the positioning of a plurality of units one on top of the other to form a rack construction.

The present invention relates to a rack of this type for hanging files, shelves and similar purposes, built up out of independent rack units, wherein each rack side of the four-sided rack unit consists of bent members and represents a U-shaped frame, the opposite rack sides are equal and the two other sides form a frame possessing the shape of an inverted U, and one of the four corner arms is in each case common to successive rack sides, characterized by the fact that all the angles of the U-frame are less than 90 and each two opposite frame sides joining the corner arms run approximately parallel to one another.

A few typical examples of the invention are hereinafter described in detail with the aid of Figures 1 to 8. In the drawing:

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are a front view, side view and horizontal projection of a typical example of the rack unit according to the invention.

Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinal section illustrating the connection between two members forming a rack unit on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic front view illustrating a plurality of racks placed one on top of the other.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. 5.

Figs. 7 and 8 show typical connections between the contact points of neighboring rack units in the assembled rack as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show in front view, side view and horizontal projection a typical example of the rackunit according to the invention consisting-of bent members. es,

Consequently I d can be seen, it is a four-sided rack unit in which each of the four sides is formed by a U-shaped frame. Moreover, opposite rack sides are in each case equal, which can be seen from Figs. 1 and 3 as regards the front and rear sides of the rack, as well as the left and right sides. The rack unit possesses four corner arms 1a, b, c, d, each one of which is common to two neighboring rack sides. The corner arms are interconnected: corner arms 1a, 1b by the frame side 2a and the opposite corner legs 1c, 1d by the equal frame side 2b; also the corner arms 1b, Is by the frame side 3a and the opposite corner legs 1d, 1a by the equal frame side 3b. Opposite bottom frame sides, that is to say, 2:: and 2b, are approximately parallel to each other.

Racks consisting of bent members and with U-shaped sides have in themselves been known for a long time, particularly for tubular steel furniture and similar products.' The rack according to the invention, however, differs from these known rack forms owing to its main feature according to which all the angles of the U-frames forming the rack sides are less than This is true both of the angles between the corner arms 1a, lb, or 1c, 1d and the frame sides 2a or 2b, as can be seen from Figs. 2 and 3, and also of the angles between the corner arms 1b, 10 or 1d, 1:: and the top frame sides 3a or 3b, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This oblique-angled formation of the rack unit consisting of bent members results in substantial advantages for the erecting of racks consisting of several units located one on top of the other and/or side by side, as will be described later.

The length of the four corner arms 1a, 1b, 1c, id is preferably equal, but the frame sides 2a, b and 3a, b, connecting in each case two corner arms, are preferably of different lengths, as is shown by the typical example of the rack unit in Figs. 1 to 3. In these, two rack sides have the shape of an upright U, in this case the rack sides formed by the U-frames 1a, 2a, lb or 10, 2b, 1d. The other two rack sides have accordingly the form of an inverted U, in this case the rack sides formed by the U-frames 1b, 3a, 10 or 1d, 3b, 1a. The frame sides 2a, 2b, consequently located underneath, serve as support for the rack and carry the rack unit in question. The top frame sides 3a, 3b, on the other hand, are, as is indicated in Figs. 1 to 3, used as hanging bars for suspendable filing aids, hanging folders 4 for instance, or serve as support rods on which trays can be laid, in the event of the rack unit in question being designed entirely or partially as a shelf. According to the purpose intended the lengths of the frame sides 2a, 2b serving as a rack support are chosen such that the requisite distance is obtained between the approximately parallel and top frame sides 30, 3b. The length of the top frame sides 3a, 3b vary only according to the desired capacity of each rack unit, but is limited by the weight of the objects to be suspended in the rack or placed on top of it.

The typical example of the rack unit shown in Figs. 1 to 3 comprises thin-walled tubes as bent members. Said tubes are preferably made of metal, possibly steel tubes seamless-drawn and chrome-plated after bending. The present invention, however, is not restricted to this, and other suitably shaped hollow and solid profiles can be used, both those made of metal and those of nonmetallic material of corresponding bending strength, possibly wood, plastic and similar material.

The rack unit described with the aid of Figs. 1 to 3 can indeed, if required, be bent out of one single member, the two ends of which can then be indissolubly joined together, but it is preferable that according to the invention the rack unit be assembled from at least two structural parts. For example, two structural parts can be provided, one of which parts includestheframe side 3a.togetherv with'ethetwo corner-arms 1b,--1c,-as well S asfhalf of each of the frame sides 2a, 2b on the lower ends of the said corner arms, whereas the other part consists of the frame side 3b, the two corner arms 1a, 1d a dIh'alf each of the frame sidesZa, 212 at the o er nd of the said corner armsa The/rack.v unit according toFig. 3 is thus divided up into the two strtic-- turalpartsjalong the symmetryplane indicated by line 5 in Figs. 2 and 3. V

Fig. 4"shows aisuitable type of connection for theracl; members in axial section. One. of the ends of'the rack membersysuchas the .zportionxza' of the bottom frame side. 2a is-provided with a rod. member .6 which isinscrtedinto the bottom frameportion 2a. The conned effected inaisimilar mannen, w

' The subdivision of each Jack innit into two or more 'tion of the two vportionslof the bottom frame Zbma i be 7 structural parts offers significant advantages. for manu-,

facture, transportand storing, since thedividing' up'of arackhnit along symmetry planes gives structural parts that are always'congruent, that canbe manufactured in the same bending devices and, laid one on top of the other, require substantially less space than whole rack units. The dividingup of a rack unit can also be effected in accordance with symmetry planes other than the one I illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, so that the joints of the strucitural par'ts in the assembled rack unit are not in the middle of the frame sides' Za, 'b forming the rack support, but are for instance in the middle of the frame sides 31;, b.

If; the connecting pieces 6 and/or the halv es of the.

The rack unit described above is according to the in vention assembled into larger rack groups ,by' arranging "severaljsuch units on top of each other and side by side, as is shown diagrammatically in front and side views in Figs. 5 and-6. The fact that the distance between the frame sides 2a, 2b which serve as support for the rack, is in each case less than the length of the frame sides 3a, 3b, and, on the other hand, the fact thatthe length ofthe frame sides 26;, 2b is in each case" greater than the distance between the frame sides 3a, 3b, enables several rack units to .be placed one on top of the other. In this case, then, the. frame sides 2a, 2b, which serve as support for the rack, rest on the frame sides 3a, 3b of the rack unit underneath, the ends,

of the frame side 2:: each having a point of contact on the ends of the frame sides 3a and 3b, and similarly the ends" of the frame side 2b on th ends of the frame sides 3a, 31;. The frame sides 2a, b cross approximately at right angles withthe frame sides 35:, b at these four contact points between each following and each preced mg rack unit. This crossing point of the frame'sides" 2b and 3a is illustrated in section in Fig. 7, which sup poses that tubes are being used as bent members. At these contact points the rack units arranged one on top of'the other are connected together by a pin '8, for instance, which is inserted into corresponding holes in the frame sides 212,3[1 and secured by a cotter pin 9. This manner of connecting rack units arranged one on top of the other is on the one hand readily releasable, but

on the other hand rigid enough to ensure that several rack units one on top of the other will hold together.

Instead of ajpin secured with a cotter pin it is, of course, also possible to use bolts and nuts or other suitable connections. For instance, as is shown in Fig. 8, the top girder sides 3,41, 1% can in each case also. be provided at the bearing points with upward projecting screwed bolts 10 on which the girder sides 21:, 2b of the follow the I A ing rack units are placed, said sides being provided with corresponding holes, and are secured in any suitable manner. The bolts 10 canbe soldered or welded at 11. An assembled rack, however, can also be produced by arranging rack units side by side, as is shown in Figs. 5 and 6 it being possible to place said units both beside and behind one another. In this arrangement neighboring rack=units always touch either at the top or the bottom ends of each pair ofcorner arms and at these contact points said rack units are secured together in an easily releasable manner. This securing can be. designed similarly to that shown in Fig. 8, or can also be effected by means of'bolt's and'nuts or in some other suitable way.

As can be seen from Figs. Sand 6, great stability is ensured in joining several rack units together to form a rack group by securing the rack supports in each parallel top frame sides having bent ends, corner arms connected with said bent ends, each corner arm extending downwardly in two oblique directions, namely,in'

the direction toward thecorner arm of the same top' frame side and in the direction away from the opposite corner arm of theother topfrarne side, and two parallel bottom frame sides, each bottom frame side joining the ends of'two opposed corner arms and extending transversely to said top frame sides, each top frame side with the corner arms connected therewith having substantially the shape of an inverted U and being located in an obliquely extending plane,'each bottom frame side with'the corner arms connected therewith having substantially the shape of a U and being located in an obliquely extending plane.

2. A storing device having a plurality of independent rack units, each of said rack units comprising two parallel top frame sides having bent ends, corner arms connected with said benttends, each corner arm extending down- 7 arms connected therewith having substantially the shape of an inverted U and being located in an obliquely exof said other rack unit adjacent to the bent ends of said two top frame sides and extending transversely to the latter, said one rack unit being thereby supported by said other rack unit. v

3. A rack construction comprising a plurality. of super-' posed independent rack units, each. ofsaid rack units having two parallel top frame sideshaving bent ends, corner arms connected with saidbent ends, each corner arm extending downwardly 'in two oblique directions, namely,,in. the direction toward the corner of the same top frame side and in the directionaway fromthe opposite corner arm of the other top. frame side, and two parallel bottom frame sides, each bottom, frame side. joining the ends of two opposed corner arms and extending transversely to said top frame sides, each top 'fra me side with the corner arms connected therewith' havingsubstantially theshape'of an inverted U and being located-in an obliquely extending plane, each bottom frame side with the corner arms connected therewith having substantially the shape of a U and being located in an obliquely extending plane; one of said rack units being located above another one of said rack units, each one of bottom frame sides of said one rack unit resting on said two top frame sides of the other rack unit adjacent said bent ends of said two top frame sides and extending transversely to the latter, and connecting means securing said one rack unit to said other rack unit via said bottom frame sides and said top frame sides, to thereby improve the stability of the rack construction.

4. A rack construction according to claim 3, each of said bottom frame sides and said top frame sides having bores; said connecting means comprising pins extending through respective ones of said bores to effect securernent of said one rack unit to said other rack unit.

5. A rack construction according to claim 3, wherein each rack unit consists of two identical members, said members being releasably interconnected to permit separation thereof for storing and transport of said rack units.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 764,028 Alford July 5, 1904 1,355,486 Longenecker Oct. 12, 1920 1,524,348 Field Jan. 27, 1925 2,065,902 Levin Dec. 29, 1936 2,456,929 Dee Dec. 21, 1948 2,554,232 Young May 22, 1951 2,676,861 Belew Apr. 27, 1954 

